The Konoha Love Story
by mademoiselle anna
Summary: Once upon a time... the village fell in love with a lie.
1. one

The Konoha Love Story

By anna

_All general disclaimers apply_

author: This story was written as an experiment, it was uploaded with no proof reading. There are many grammatical mistakes that I hope I will be able to fix soon.

**Experiment: **Unreliable narrator

_one_

--

"_You have good tastes in women Sasuke, and it's just your luck that Sakura-chan has bad tastes in men," _

--

An old woman sat on a chair, opposite from a group of young children. She glanced into their young, hungry eyes and chuckled lightly. Brushing a loose strand of white hair from her face, she sat up a little straighter.

"What story would you like to hear today?" she asked.

"Tell us the story of the sixth Hokage, sensei," a young girl inquired as she bounced up and down in excitement.

A pained expression washed across the woman's face; she craned her head slightly, from afar she could see the carving of aforementioned man on the side of the mountain. He looked as young as ever, with that mischievous grin on his face.

The old sensei nodded in agreement and the children leaned forward in expectation; their eager faces lent fuel to her voice.

"The Anbu team had just returned after an arduous mission, just in time for the inauguration of the sixth Hokage. The captain was discovered to be more injured than they had thought and he was immediately rushed to the emergency room…"

--

A young medic walked briskly across the hospital ground, she opened her folder and quickly scanned its contents. She stopped in front of a room and proceeded to open the heavy wooden door. Standing at the entrance, she smirked slightly; her eyes fell on a handsome man who was trying his best to ignore her.

"Honestly Hyuuga-san, it must be difficult to be so disagreeable all the time,"

He turned his head to look at her; his silver eyes caught a glint of the sunlight, temporarily blinding him. Sakura raised an eyebrow and tried her best not to laugh at the almighty Neji Hyuuga and his moment of daze.

"It must be so difficult to be so annoying all the time," he retorted, his first words to her since his arrival at the hospital.

"Oh snap," she said sarcastically, and began her leisure walk toward him.

"When do I get to leave this hell hole?"

"You have several bone dislocations and cuts, although what I'm more concerned about are the fractures along your spine. It could take a while to heal, and I would not recommend leaving this hospital bed for a month," Sakura answered, standing by the bed post.

"Then recommend me," he said curtly, closing his eyes.

With a frown, the pretty woman began pulling the blanket off of him, silver eyes fluttered open, glaring at her incredulously.

"What do you think you're doing?" Neji demanded.

"I'm trying to deposit my eggs in you, gosh you really are dense," she answered.

With a swift movement of her arm, the Anbu captain was flipped on his stomach. His face was covered in cotton and he tried lifted his head up above the white pillow. Sakura pressed his upper back flat against the bed, holding him still with the immense strength she possessed in her small arms. The Hyuuga floundered on the bed like a fish out of water, but in his weakened state he could do no more than a few twitches.

"Lay still, damn it," Sakura demanded.

"Lay still? Lay still whilst my body is being befouled?"

"You bitch like a girl," she said, her hand glided over his spine, sending shivers down his back.

"Is this what you do to fractured patients? Pride of the Fifth, you are,"

"Oh shut up," her fingers trailed along his back and the Hyuuga felt strangely relaxed despite his better judgment.

With her knee still lodged in his lower back and her left arm holding his shoulder, the pink haired beauty scribbled a few notes down on her folder.

"Am I interrupting?" a deep male voice penetrated the room.

Neji fought against her strong hold and lifted his head toward the speaker. A man in his mid-twenties leaned casually against the door frame, his hands inside his pockets.

"Uchiha! Get your woman off of me," Neji demanded and resumed with his weak twitches.

Sasuke smirked and pushed his body off of the door, he walked toward the captured Hyuuga and the woman who pinned him.

"Sorry Hyuuga, I wouldn't know how to, I never had a problem of her being on me, you see," the Uchiha said.

Neji grumbled a few words, something about "traitor to humanity" and opted to bury his head in the white, cotton pillow, a pathetic attempt to prevent further humiliation.

The medic loosened her grip on Neji, "What are you doing here, Sasuke-kun,"

"I came to inform you that I won't be able to escort you to the inauguration. Naruto is getting cold feet, you see, so I guess I better go and have a few words with him," the handsome man answered, a soft breeze through the window lifted his unruly dark bangs from his face.

"Oh, alright," disappointment crept on her pretty face.

"I'll see you at home," he said, giving her a small pat and walked out of the room as quietly as he had entered it.

After Sasuke left, Sakura jumped off the Anbu and reviewed his charts once more, "Alright Hyuuga-san, it's healing nicely, but I'm not budging on the one month recuperation,"

Sakura dug inside her purse and withdrew and package, she threw it at the bedridden Anbu carelessly.

"What is this?" he asked, staring at the white bag curiously.

"Ceremonial clothing, as Anbu captain, I can't have you miss the Hokage's inauguration now, can I?" Sakura answered.

Neji unfolded the package and, true enough, found his Anbu uniform neatly folded. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed that Sakura had disappeared from his view, panicked, he lifted his head, and found her within inches of his face.

"Lift your arms," she said languidly.

"What are you going to do? Dress me?" he asked incredulously.

"Actually, I'm going to undress you, and then dress you again,"

"This is an invasion of privacy,"

"Who would have guessed that the high and mighty Anbu captain is a drama queen? What are you worried about? That I'll see you naked?"

"Among other things,"

"It's a hospital gown, I can just rip it open you know?" Sakura said, a mischievous glint in her green eyes.

"I'll scream," Neji threatened.

Sakura ignored him and withdrew and small scalpel from the counter and with a swift slashing movement, the aforementioned hospital gown became shreds.

"Guess what?" Sakura asked whilst covering his muscular body with his Anbu uniform.

"That you're actually two crazy people meshed together as one?" he answered sullenly.

"Drama queen,"

"Shameless rapist,"

--

Naruto paced nervously. The blonde stopped abruptly, and proceeded to tap the counter at an almost crazed speed.

Where the hell was that stupid avenger of a best friend when he needed him?

The door creaked open and Naruto turned around swiftly. His eyes dropped in disappointment when a small woman entered. Her short hair bounced as she closed the door behind her, shyly the Hyuuga lifted her head up to greet the soon-to-be-Hokage.

"Hinata-san, I'm sorry, I thought you were Sasuke," Naruto addressed the timid woman.

The small woman nodded in understanding, her silver eyes fluttered to meet his cerulean ones.

"Is there something you need?"

This time, she shook her head vigorously.

Naruto tilted his head in both confusion and impatience; he had never been able to have an actual conversation with the former Hyuuga heiress.

"I- I just wanted to come and congratulate you," she said, stuttering. Even as an adult, she was still cursed with her immense shyness.

"Thank you, Hinata-san,"

The Hyuuga woman sighed, ever since her love confession to him a few years ago, Naruto did not change his treatment of her. She figured it was because of his feelings for Haruno Sakura, but even after said woman became Uchiha Sakura, he never changed. A small, sad smile appeared on her lips.

"You know I'll never give up on you," she said softly.

Naruto stood and gawked at her dumbly. His demeanor ceased to be one of surprise, and changed to understanding, the blonde lowered his eyes shamefully, "I know,"

"You know I'll make you love me, just like Sakura made Sasuke love her…"

"I may not be as forceful as Sakura-chan, but I'll never give up," Hinata continued, her heart began to beat wildly.

Naruto walked toward her and placed his arms on her shoulders; he lowered his head and seeked her eyes, "I…"

"Sorry I'm late Naruto,"

Said man immediately pulled apart from the small woman, Hinata looked over to the newcomer and uttered a small squeak of salutation.

"Uchiha-san…"

"Hn,"

Hinata managed a few rushed good-byes and ran out the room, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. The last of the Uchiha watched the retreating figure and averted his attention back to the blonde.

"You seem calmer than on the phone,"

"Yea,"

"You should really give her an answer," the Uchiha suggested.

"Said the famous Uchiha Sasuke," Naruto answered ironically, "I'm waiting for the perfect woman,"

"There is no perfect woman,"

"Your wife is,"

Sasuke looked at his friend, and decided it was best not to say anything.

--

"It's embarrassing to be seen with you,"

"Said the bandaged man on the wheelchair," Sakura answered smoothly, much to the indignation of the Hyuuga.

Sakura, still dressed in the medic gown, was pushing the hospital wheelchair with Konoha's most handsome bachelor strapped onto it.

"That cat screamed when it saw you," the medic said, maneuvering the wheels with ease.

"Cats don't scream, I'm going to request another medic on grounds of your questionable sanity," the Hyuuga said, trying his best to avoid intruding stares of passersby.

"My questionable sanity saved your life, you know,"

"If I'm not heavily injured, I would never allow you to desecrate the Hyuuga name so easily,"

"It wouldn't have stopped me either way," Sakura challenged haughtily.

Just to add insult to the shattering pride of her patient, she had chosen to go through the busiest route in Konoha. She smirked when the bustling people all stopped what they were doing, and opted to gawk at their Anbu Captain being pushed around on a wheelchair by a medic.

"Are you saying that you are stronger than me?" Neji asked

"That's exactly what I'm saying, even with your full strength, I can still best you,"

"Is that a challenge?"

"Let's make it one. How about a bet? Something to keep yourself occupied while 'imprisoned within hospital walls'"

"I'm listening," Neji said.

"In one month, when your strength is fully recovered, we'll have a match to see who is truly better," the pink haired medic answered.

"If I win, all my future injuries will be treated by a less annoying medic," the Hyuuga suggested.

"But if I win, you'll have to tell everybody that I am better than you are," Sakura smirked.

"I'll have my guy draw up the papers,"

"My guy will call your guy,"

--

The inauguration ceremony went by relatively uneventful; emerged from the four hour long formal procedure was a new Hokage. The entire Academy erupted into clapping when Naruto was formally declared the Sixth.

"Congratulations Naruto," Sakura squealed and gave him a tight hug. His strong arms clasped her body equally tight.

"Thanks Sakura-chan," the blonde beamed, "is that Neji?"

Sakura followed his finger and her eyes landed on a bored Hyuuga sitting on a wheelchair in the middle of some gushing fan girls.

"That's him alright," she muttered, "the most difficult patient I have ever had the honor of treating,"

"He told me about the deal you two made," the Hokage said, laughing, "are you planning to tell Sasuke about it?"

Sakura poured herself some more sake and nodded, "Of course,"

"Here he comes," Naruto pointed to the approaching Uchiha.

The tall man appeared behind the pink haired medic, giving her a soft squeeze. Sakura relaxed in his embrace, she winked at Naruto and turned around to face Sasuke.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun… I have a favor to ask you," she began.

"Hn?" his onyx eyes bore into her green ones and she could already feel her body melting.

"Since you're on a break from missions, how about training me for a month?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, his handsome face was deep in thought for a moment, "You want me to train you?"

Sakura nodded, her hair bobbed with her movement.

"…Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well… I made a bet with Hyuuga-san that I'd be able to defeat him in a match," she laughed sheepishly.

"You want me to train you, my wife, to defeat the Hyuuga in a battle…I don't think so," he said firmly.

In the background, the unmistakable voice of a drunk Genma penetrated their ears, "Sasuke! Come join the merry company."

The Uchiha sighed, "Excuse me, but it seemed that I made the dire mistake of promising Genma I would join his 'merry company'. Wait for me later and we'll walk home together,"

Sakura watched the retreating figure of her husband; she leaned toward Naruto and whispered, "We can break him,"

"Pride, go for pride," the blonde whispered back.

"Could you imagine Naruto, when the wife of the Uchiha survivor loses in a battle against a Hyuuga," Sakura said loudly, from afar, Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks.

"An embarrassment," the Hokage agreed.

Sasuke's left hand began to twitch.

"A little more and we're golden," Naruto whispered and his roseate haired friend nodded.

"Nobody has ever been able to decide which is the better clan, what a chance to pass up on," Sakura embellished.

The raven haired man turned around and walked toward his wife and best friend with brisk steps, "you win," he said, defeated.

Sakura flung her hands around him and gave him a tight hug, "Thank you, thank you,"

--

There, the old woman paused. She chuckled lightly when she noticed that the children were too wrapped in the story to even noticed she had stopped.

"... And thus sets the scene for the Konoha love story,"

--

tbc-


	2. two

The Konoha Love Story

By anna

_All general disclaimers apply_

_two_

--

_"She loves me," _

_The man in front of him laughed, "I don't care who she loves or who she hates, all I care about is that no one loves her as much as I do," _

--

The old woman chuckled.

It was ironic how things turned out.

The little girl looked up at her teacher questioningly, her pretty little head tilted to the side. Even the little boy looked restless.

"Alright, I'll tell you the next part," she smiled warmly, and couldn't help but chuckled again when her students' eyes widened in anticipation.

"Through womanly wiles, Sakura Uchiha managed to get her husband to train her. During the mean time however, she visited her patient daily, more to flaunt her newly acquired skills than anything else…."

--

White eyes fluttered open; the Hyuuga patient groaned lightly as he struggled to push himself up. Something tickled the nape of his neck and a bandaged hand grabbed the intruding article, bringing it closer to his eyes for inspection. This time, white eyes widened as they stared at the menacing pink strands in disbelief.

"Oh dear God, it's contagious!" he said rather dramatically.

"Relax, it's a wig,"

Sakura smiled haughtily at the shocked man in front of her.

"Ugh… how disturbing, the first thing I see in the morning is you," Neji grumbled, "and what is this?" his fingers unfastened the pink wig from his scalp.

"You went to bed with a fever last night, I had to stay with you, and I got bored," the pretty pink haired woman explained.

The Hyuuga narrowed his eyes in indignation, "Normal people would just draw on my face you know?"

"Gosh, you really are grouchy in the morning," Sakura said, she got up from her chair and started for the door.

For a brief moment, the Hyuuga panicked, "Where are you going?"

"Home, Sasuke-kun must be worried sick by now," she answered, flashing the brunette a brilliant smile before she disappeared behind the door.

Neji was left alone in the big hospital room and for a minute, noticed how strange it was without her in it. It was just too normal.

--

Sasuke activated the Sharingan.

Red eyes scanned the area and he 'tsked' irritably, the Uchiha raced across the arena barely dodging a flying projectile. She was good, he begrudgingly admitted, a little too good than he cared to acknowledge. His fingers immediately took hold of the kantana on his back, the metal scraped against its sheath.

And then, all was still again.

Dark bangs obscured his vision temporarily and Sasuke brushed them aside impatiently. His wife was taking her sweet time. Within seconds, he was on the defensive again, his fingers flexed over the hilt, the Uchiha immediately spun around when the flutter of the white hospital uniform came within his line of vision.

Sakura landed a few feet from the Uchiha, her bun loosened and the pink hair was now flowing gloriously down her back. With her fingers around a glistening kanata, she lunged at him silently. The clash of their blades echoed across the Academy arena, sparks flew across their faces igniting a fire from within their hearts.

"I thought Tsunade only trained you for bare handed fighting," Sasuke asked, bringing his one blade closer to his chest to block a quick slice of her katana.

"I've been training with Tenten," the pink haired medic answered.

Sasuke was on the advancement and she began her defensive parries. However Sakura miscalculated the length of his katana, blood misted across the floor.

Her blood.

Sharingan eyes widened as they stared at her injured shoulder both in shock and worry.

"Don't concern yourself Sasuke-kun," his wife said, and almost immediately the blood ceased and the wound closed.

Using his moment of distraction, Sakura delivered the finishing blow. The ground shattered under the power of her stroke and Sasuke found himself pressed against the concrete floor.

"You would have won if you hadn't let yourself become distracted," his wife chastised, her legs placed securely on either side of his ribs.

"You're my wife, you were bleeding, I worry," he said defensively.

Sakura smiled prettily, she leaned down to her pinned husband and brushed her lips against him. She squealed he flipped her over, Sakura smirked up at him. Sasuke scrunched his brows in distaste as his fingers hovered gently over her shoulder, feeling the silkiness of her skin.

"Don't worry, it's healed,"

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Honestly, you worry too much," she pouted.

"Stop complaining, woman," the Uchiha smirked, he helped her up to her feet. Sakura squealed again, this in time surprise when he decided to pushed her against the wall.

"Who's complaining," she answered and held him tight, feeling his heart beats close to her breasts. Her hands trailing up his shirt, tracing every lines of his muscled abdomen.

--

Naruto looked up from his work when a group of Anbu appeared in his office. A tall woman withdrew the fox mask she was wearing and bowed politely. Behind her, a woman of small stature dipped her head.

"Meiko," the blonde man acknowledged, pushing the paperwork aside.

The woman in question straightened herself and gestured slightly for her subordinate to come forward.

"Hokage-sama, through careful selection Anbu has decided for Hyuuga-san to be your personal bodyguard,"

On cue, the petite woman took off her mask and lowered her eyes respectfully. Her short dark hair bounced on her shoulders.

"Hinata-san," Naruto acknowledged, "but I hardly think that I need a bodyguard."

Hinata looked up at him abruptly and the sixth Hokage narrowed his eyes curiously at her small outburst.

"I'm sure I can be of service Hokage-sama," she insisted, her silver eyes bore into his pleadingly.

Naruto sighed, having the Hyuuga to be in such close quarters with him would bound to go wrong, but not having her near him would be a disaster of its own also. He nodded submissively, and couldn't help but smiled when Hinata's eyes lit up.

--

Neji was in a terrible mood, he made that fabulously clear when he sent that nurse running out of the room in tears. His fingers reached for the remote, and once it was in his possession began flipping through the channel like a mad man. He had no idea why he was being so frustratingly difficult. But he knew that he needed vent it out somehow.

"Wait stop! That's my favorite soap opera, leave it on will you?" a sickeningly fluffy female voice cried out.

Neji stopped and turned at his bedside, there stood the woman who was the bringer of all his problems. Her gaze held steadfast on her television, his nose scrunched in disgust when he noticed that she smelled unmistakably masculine. Her tell–tale white hospital employee uniform was wrinkled, and crumpled and rutted.

"What took you so long," he asked and, to Sakura's gratefulness, stopped at the requested channel.

"You honestly want the details?"

"Ugh."

She pushed him to the side and sat on his bed, the mattresses bounced with the newly added weight, "Move over, I haven't watched this episode yet,"

Neji scooted to the other side of the bed, giving her some room. He glared at her through vengeful eyes.

"Are medics supposed to be abusing their patients?" he asked.

"I can always put another month on your hospital visit," Sakura threatened as she maneuvered her body and placed the blanket over her.

"Abusive dictator," he grumbled.

"Your thighs are fat,"

"That's the pillow,"

With a swift kick of her leg, Sakura successfully triumphed over the pillow. It landed with a thud and out of sight.

"It wasn't the pillows, it's your hips. They're wide," the pink haired medic accused.

"I do not have wide hips," the Hyuuga said defensively, his arms nudged at hers under the blanket, trying his best to give himself more space.

"Good God, they shape like peaches,"

"Why are you even on my bed? This is sexual harassment," the Hyuuga said, glaring at his intruder.

"Ooh look this is the episode after Misao hooked up with her best friend's boyfriend," Sakura shrilled happily, her hand adjusted the pillow behind her head.

"You watch this crap?"

"You have wide hips,"

--

tbc-


	3. three

The Konoha Love Story

By anna

_All general disclaimers apply_

_three_

**--**

_She never cried. _

"_I really am terrible," she chuckled. _

"_No, just cruel,"_

_Not much of a fairy tale anymore now, is it? _

--

"I'm sorry but I might have misled you a little," she apologized.

She looked so vulnerable that the children were not able to utter a few words of protests about the alleged lie she had them believed. Their teacher looked older, the wrinkles were more defined now and her eyes, which the children had always wondered if they were able to see, were tired and blurry.

"This is not much of a Konoha love story, you see, but merely one of the many stories in Konoha,"

**--**

Neji was glaring again.

The poor medic in front of him stood like a deer trapped in headlight.

"H-yuu Hyuuga-san," she stuttered, her pretty faced contorted with fear, "P- please remove your shirt,"

"Why? You don't look like the type who would abuse me if I don't obey," he smirked.

The young woman blushed profusely and opted to lower her face. She began stuttering again, but this time nothing coherent could be heard from her lips.

"Get out," he said.

Sakura entered the room and found herself almost stampeded by a crying medic

"You made her cry," Sakura frowned.

"I applaud your observational skills," he answered dryly.

"It's only a month you know? Must you always be so pessimistic all the time?" she asked, opening the chart left by the nurse.

"I'll have you know, I am an eternal optimist," Neji said

"Oh?"

"Every time I look at your breasts, I see two cups half full,"

Sakura closed the folder calmly; she took the uniform off of its hook and then proceeded to put on rubber gloves. Neji followed her every movements carefully, his eyes narrowed with each passing seconds.

"I think it's time for your physical," she said simply, her fingers snapping the glove to emphasize her point.

"What's the ruler for?"

"Well, I think it's about time we all know about how much of a man Neji Hyuuga really is," she smirked.

His eyes widened, his fingers clasped at the blanket protectively.

"And it's about time we have it on file," Sakura continued.

He didn't know whether he should scream or not.

This woman was the devil.

Nice choice on the wife, Uchiha.

**--**

Naruto nodded politely when she handed him a cup of coffee. He opted for a break and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Sakura was right; he needed to come to her for a check up, stressing over a few pieces of paper just wasn't worth it.

"Naruto-kun, why don't you take a break?" Hinata suggested.

The Hokage looked at her as though he hadn't noticed she was there. That's right, Hinata had been here ever since she accepted that sham post. A quasi-position made up by some helpless romantic or other in the Anbu, hoping to get them hitched.

Honestly.

"I'll prepare some dinner for us," she smiled, silently pleading with him.

She always looked at him that way.

The blonde nodded and pushed his work aside. He sighed and decided to forget about the upcoming mission in Mist village. He flashed a quick smile and stood up, revealing some of the foxy features of his youth. Hinata's heart fluttered when she noticed that he was beginning to look like her Naruto-kun again. The Hokage training under Tsunade-sama had stripped most of his mischievous nature.

He smiled after her as she pranced outside the room. His smile faltered when he remembered that there were no kitchens in the Academy. She must have went back home to cook for him.

Silly woman.

**--**

"What are those?" the Hyuuga asked, straining his neck up to see the platter she was holding.

Sakura smiled brilliantly and walked over to his bed, her arm extended, keeping the platter above him.

"They're muffins," she answered, the other hand twirling her pink locks sweetly.

"You made me muffins?" he asked suspiciously.

As much of a skeptic that he was, the muffins smelled absolutely fantastic. Sakura smiled again, showing off her wonderfully perfect teeth. He knew he couldn't trust a woman like her, but it had been so long since he had homemade pastries.

"You _are_ my favorite patient you know," Sakura said, she placed the muffins next to the Hyuuga and began walking away.

"I heard from Hinata-chan that your favorites are blueberry muffins. Anyways, I have to go and check up on Kakashi-sensei," she waved and disappeared behind wooden door, the hem of the hospital uniform fluttered after with her.

After his medic left the room, Neji averted his gaze at the inviting muffins. He scrutinized every angle and calculated every possible situations if he consumed one. The door opened again and the Hyuuga tore his gaze from the imposing pastries. He glanced at the newcomer passively and lost his interest after he knew who it was.

"Uchiha," Neji acknowledged politely.

Sasuke nodded briefly and approached the bed ridden Anbu.

"There is a new mission and Naruto wanted me to work with you putting together the team, injured or not, you are still co-captain," the Uchiha said, he reached for the small stool and sat on it, waiting.

Neji nodded, but his eyes were still fixed on the muffins, let the Uchiha wait.

Uchiha.

Questionable muffins.

The Hyuuga raised an eyebrow and sneaked a surreptitious glance at the awaiting Anbu.

"Do you like blueberry muffins?" Neji asked, nudging the plate forward.

"I don't like sweets, but Sakura makes a lot of them," Sasuke answered.

"Have some,"

"Sure, thanks," the Anbu answered, reaching for the nearest muffin and bit into them slowly.

Neji watched as the Uchiha consumed the homemade pastry, blueberries and all. For a moment, a sliver of apprehension washed down his being as Neji began assessing the situation again. Here he was, feeding muffin to the last of the Uchiha. What if said man died? That would make him responsible for the total annihilation of the Uchiha clan.

Sakura was right; he was becoming quite the drama queen.

"How do you feel?" Neji asked cautiously and slowly, his eyes fastened on the man in front of him, waiting for an explosion.

"Why are you using your byakugan?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes, managing to look oddly ferocious while holding a half bitten blueberry muffin.

Neji had to give it to the Uchiha, keeping his cool until the very end.

Sasuke shook his head, and stood up, taking his leave.

"I knew spending too much time with my wife wasn't good for anybody's health," he said and left.

Sasuke walked, only to be stopped by aforementioned wife. Sakura bounced before him happily.

"So?" she asked.

"I took the muffin you told me too," he reassured.

--

Naruto slurped down the ramen gratefully. It had been a while since he had any. The inner youngster in him grinned and cleaned out the entire bowl, as large as it was.

"How was it Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked cautiously.

"It was delicious!" he exclaimed, and watched as a tinge of pink appeared on her face, "Thanks Hina-chan, you're a really good cook."

Hinata sat still, in shock, her head trying to process what he had just called her.

"Hina-chan," she repeated, smiling, "You used to call me that,"

He scratched his head in embarrassment, "So I did,"

He chuckled lightly, but his voice trailed off when he noticed that she was giving him those eyes again.

But then again, she had always given those eyes.

And it was about time he caved.

Through some strength of her own, Hinata leaned closer to his face. Her silver eyes seek for his and she smiled crookedly. Her hands acted on their own, and she let them as they grasped the Hokage's head and pushed it toward hers.

His lips were soft.

--

Sakura sighed. She knew giving him those muffins were going to come back and bite her on the ass.

"Serves you right," she chided.

The Hyuuga looked up at her through glazed eyes.

"You measured me," he accused.

The pink haired medic shook her head, "Don't worry, I'm not going to put it on the record, it'll make you too famous,"

Neji sneered and clutched his stomach again, and immediately, Sakura was by his side.

"Where were you?" he asked once the pain passed.

"Training with Sasuke, he was teaching me the Chidori," she answered with pride.

"Impressive, but you're not going to beat me on that alone,"

"It's my last training session with him, Sasuke-kun left on a mission this afternoon. So I won't be seeing him for a month," she said sadly.

Neji watched the woman in front of him, it was unnatural for her too be depressed. A nagging feeling crept up and he sighed.

"I think your soap opera is on," he suggested submissively.

He couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief when the medic bounced on his bed and began a battle for territory. Her finger pressed the 'on' button in anticipation and she shrilled with happiness when the theme song began.

Neji snuggled close to the bed sheets and opted to watch the disgustingly romantic show. He could smell the fleeting scent of cherry blossoms.

The devil, rapist, dictator or not, she smelled nice.

--

She was silent for a minute, her eyes wandered across the sky and narrowed when she found the sun too harsh.

"Hinata-sensei?" the little girl asked cautiously.

The Hyuuga smiled and apologized for stopping so abruptly, "Where was I?"

"Sasuke Uchiha left for Mist village," the little boy answered helpfully.

"That's right, he left for a mission. He left for a mission and he never came back…"

--

tbc-


	4. four

The Konoha Love Story

By anna

_All general disclaimers apply_

_four_

--

"_What do you want sensei?"_

**--**

Hinata smiled when the small child offered her a large platter of various assortments of pastries. Large almond eyes twinkled in youthful innocence; her small hands clutched the silverware and lifted it above her head.

"My father told me to give these to you sensei," she said, her pink pigtails danced sprightly.

The older woman took the platter and placed it on the floor in front of the small children. Their eyes followed the cakes and muffins in childish anticipation.

"Thank you Sari, let's share them with your teammate, I don't want any. Not much of a sweets person you see,"

"What do you want sensei?" the boy asked innocently, his hands were already in possession of a large blueberry muffin.

Sari bounced again, and her pigtails followed, "Tell us the story sensei."

Hinata chuckled and complied, "Time progresses quickly and before they knew it, one month passed and Sasuke Uchiha was due to come home. It also marked the last day that Neji Hyuuga had to stay in the hospital…"

Hinata smiled languidly and stretched her body across the soft bed. Her head propped up and a small hand slithered from under the white sheet, feeling its surrounding. Her eyes fluttered open when she realized he wasn't there.

The Hyuuga laid still, unruly bangs and tears blurred her vision. Did she really expect to wake up with him next to her? The heat on her body had dissipated and the cool air made her shiver, Hinata clutched the sheet close to her soft breasts and wiped her eyes clean of the disgusting salty liquid.

The childish fantasy of Naruto getting on one knee was gone. She used to dream of how he'll look when he finally popped the question. His gorgeous blue eyes would gaze into hers. The mischievous face, stripped of all of its childhood innocence, would lean slightly in her direction. When she said 'yes', he would pick her up and tell her how he waited his whole life for that answer. He'll breathe in her hair and hold her so tight she'll forget the world.

She could still feel the weight of his body on hers, his fingers roaming over her body, his heavy breathing close to her ears. A small smile erupted and the petite woman began to laugh. They were small chuckles at first, bouncing off the room, but when her heart began to beat faster, her laughter grew louder.

It was ridiculous. She had been a fool thinking that Naruto would make love to her. It had been nothing but sex, a product of human needs. Hinata got up, the white bed sheet slid down her well toned body. Her hands ran down her voluptuous curves, feeling every bruise, every teeth mark, and every evidence of bygone's passion.

For one night, he was hers.

For those moments when he sought entrance into her body and they became one, Naruto Uzumaki did not think of Sakura Uchiha.

For when he moved with her, when their bodies buckled with pleasure, he did not think of his best friend's wife.

And that had been enough. And she will do it again and again because she knew that for a split second, his thoughts were only for her.

That was all Hinata Hyuuga ever wanted.

--

Neji stretched himself, he had to admit, Sakura was a brilliant medic. His body felt better than it had for a long time. After being bed ridden for one full month, it felt good to be on his feet again. The Hyuuga walked briskly to the reception desk, handing the young woman his letter of release.

"Stay healthy," she smiled and sent him on his way.

"Neji!" a strangely obnoxious loud voice called from behind him.

He turned around to find Naruto leaning against the door frame. The Hokage waved ecstatically and grinned.

"Hokage-sama," the Anbu nodded politely.

"How are you feeling? I bet Sakura-chan fixed you up nicely," the blonde inquired as he bounced beside Neji.

"You can say that. Say, where is she?"

"She's waiting for you at the Academy. It is the time for your match, did you forget?" Naruto answered.

Neji smirked, of course he hadn't forgotten. It was just like her to bring him out to battle the day of his release. He walked side by side with the Hokage and together, they made their way into the arena.

His lips curved into a small smile when he saw her standing there. Sakura was still wearing the white hospital uniform he was accustomed to. A light breeze blew across the deserted arena, lifting her pink locks and carried them in its direction giving her a breathtakingly ethereal look.

Naruto opted to stay back, he watched as Neji advanced toward the pink haired medic.

"Shall we start?" Sakura asked, smiling brilliantly.

The Hyuuga smirked and motioned her forward, his eyes bore into hers haughtily, "Let's see the fruits of your labor,"

In the blink of an eye the woman before him disappeared. It had taken him by surprise but Neji quickly focused himself and began scanning his surrounding calmly.

Naruto widened his eyes when he noticed Sakura landing behind the Hyuuga for a split second. In an instant, the ground exploded and swept with it the shocked Hyuuga. Sakura emerged from the pieces of concrete and watched as Neji's shadow clone disappeared. She smiled knowingly; it's not like him to be defeated so easily.

She waited for him to make the next move. Her heart began to race again when a kunai flew from behind her, barely missing her temple. Then she began her run to dodge his vicious attacks. She could feel the pressure pushing against her body as the force of his palm lunged forward. His moves were less than sophisticated but that was expected after being bed ridden for so long.

Neji scrunched his nose in distaste when he realized that his body could not keep up with his head. He was out of shape, and that irritated him. Sakura noticed her opponent's hesitation and decided to put an end to the match before Neji got used to using his attacks. She closed her eyes and began a series of seal, familiar blue electricity formed on her palm.

Naruto raised an eyebrow when he realized his friend mastered the Chidori. He chuckled, Sasuke certainly taught his wife well.

"_Close your eyes and feel your opponent's movement," her husband had said _

Left. Right. Left. Up. Down.

Whether Neji knew it or not, he had a pattern, and she was just the woman to take advantage of that. She felt his form gliding around her; the blur of his body imprinted itself in her mind.

Left!

Green orbs opened and with a swift movement of her arm, she prepared for the finishing blow that would claim her victory.

"Hokage-sama," a deep voice addressed politely.

Naruto waved a hand passively, his eyes fastened on the match that was taking place not far from him.

"Can this wait?" he said rhetorically.

"Actually it can't," the Anbu answered.

Sighing, Naruto turned around to be taken by surprise by a large group of Anbu. They had all taken their masks off revealing cold, stoic faces. But the tell-tale heavy atmosphere clung on the air and Naruto nodded.

"Who did we lose?" he asked in understanding.

"Sasuke Uchiha,"

Across the solemn company, Sakura stopped dead on her tracks, her Chidori vanishing. Neji's eyes widened in surprise at her sudden opening and took that advantage to throw a powerful punch at her. The pink haired medic allowed the blow to come and landed across the arena. She opted to lie still, feeling the impact of his attack with every broken bone.

Sakura stood up and dropped her head in submission, "You win,"

--

The pink haired woman dried her hair and walked toward the entrance when an annoying sound emitted through her door. She sighed, another pathetic friend sent to console her. Didn't they know she didn't need saving? She was a strong woman; Sasuke wouldn't have wanted her to cry.

Who was she kidding?

Naruto broke through the door and before she knew it, her body was consumed by his strong arms. Her head lowered and Sakura smiled sadly and buried her face in his blonde locks.

"You smell sweet,"

"I just took a shower baka," she laughed and opted to pry herself from his strong hold.

"I brought ramen,"

She laughed again, "Alright, I'll prepare them," her hand reached for the package.

The tall man in front of her raised his arm, making her searching hand out of reach, "I'll do it, I heard stories about your cooking,"

She stuck a tongue at him and walked briskly to the bedroom to put on some less comfortable clothing.

In a few minutes, Sakura appeared again and made her way toward the smell of ramen. Naruto pulled the chair out for her and she smiled graciously.

"Hmm…" she breathed in the aroma appreciatively.

Naruto did not touch his food but instead opted to stare at the woman across from him. His usually blue eyes dulled into a look of concern.

"Sakura… I'm sorry," he began.

The pink haired woman didn't even blink; instead she continued to squeeze some lemon in her bowl. Without looking up, she said, "Honestly Naruto, it's dinner time, let's not talk of such vulgar things,"

The Hokage lifted an eyebrow in surprise, her husband had just been reported dead and she was trying to salvage a pleasant evening. He lowered his eyes and nodded, it'll take time.

He smiled.

They ate quietly, each trying to remember the last time they had dinner together. It was nice and they realized that they really did miss each other's company. Whatever small bits of conversation they had were all steered clear of the last Uchiha. After dinner, Naruto stayed and they talked of old times. It didn't take the blonde long to notice that she was no longer listening; he took that as his cue to leave.

Naruto bid goodnight to Sakura and left her apartment. The cold air enveloped him and Naruto clutched on his arms lightly, welcoming his escape from the stifling room. He walked slowly to the main street, following the sounds Konoha's people. The blonde looked up, there was no moon that night but he couldn't help but smile at the black veil in the sky.

Thoughts of Sasuke entered his mind but there was no sadness in Naruto's heart. Sasuke had loved her, possibly more than Naruto himself.

And that alone was enough to make Sasuke the better man.

Naruto admitted his defeat.

Because even in death, the late Uchiha did not allow Naruto the luxury of being the man who loved her the most.

--

_Sasuke stood in front of the blonde, his imposing features looked slightly menacing. The Uchiha withdrew his hands from the white pants' pockets and scoffed. Naruto furrowed his brows and looked away, this confrontation was getting more dangerous by the minute. _

"_She loves me," the Uchiha said firmly._

_Then it was Naruto's turn to scoff, his friend had always been dense. His hollow laughter began to fill the room and he noticed Sasuke's fingers twitched in irritation. _

_Naruto shook his head as though the previous statement was just another moot point. _

"_I don't care who she loves or who she hates, all I care about is that no one loves her as much as I do," the blonde said much to his friend's astonishment. _

_Sasuke nodded his head, and his stature softened. _

"_You have good tastes in women Sasuke, and it's just your luck that Sakura-chan has bad tastes in men," _

_The aforementioned Uchiha smirked, and then turned to leave. Before closing door, he stopped. _

"_If my wife had good tastes, she'd realize that you are the better man." _

_The door closed and Naruto froze on the spot. Sasuke's last comment kept replaying over and over in his head. _

_You are the better man, Sasuke had said. _

--

Sakura didn't know what to do; she stood there staring at the man in front of her. He was leaning against the door frame lazily, his eyes searching hers for permission. The pink haired woman smirked and took a step back, a clear invitation.

"May I come in?" Neji asked.

--

It had been a full minute and no one dared to defy the silence that was already marking its territory. Sakura leaned back; her eyes noticed a small star in the distance and smiled. Next to her on the veranda sat Neji, leaning against a wooden post, his eyes flickered in her direction for a moment and attempted to trace her gaze to the source of her smile.

"I didn't cry," Sakura commented.

After much searching, Neji found himself watching the same star as Sakura.

"I really am terrible," she chuckled.

"No, just cruel," he said, his silver eyes began its slow trail across her body. Sakura was wearing a light night gown; her hair was no longer in its professional bun. But even in her most vulnerable moment, she was still beautifully strong.

"I guess I am," Sakura answered.

Neji sat up, his back hunched over, this time he turned to look at her.

"How can you cry for a man you never loved?"

Sakura wasn't surprised, Neji was always observative.

No more words were spoken after that and silence consumed them again. Neji's muscles tensed when he noticed the woman was getting closer. They tensed even more when she proceeded to drape his arm over her small body.

"Is this when you rape me?" he asked dryly.

"After one month of dressing and undressing you when you were bed ridden and you still don't trust me?" she chuckled.

"Makes you think of how you're going to die," Sakura said rhetorically.

"Some mission somewhere," he answered dryly.

"Or something more dramatic like getting hit by a truck from a diaper company," the air was getting colder and Sakura blew a breath in front of her, it sent a slight disturbance through the atmosphere before dissipating.

"_That's _your idea of 'dramatic'?"

"Drowned by dandelions?"

"You're hopeless,"

"Attacked by a squirrel,"

"Or… maybe… by a dropped anvil,"

"Anvil? Honestly Neji, that's hardly realistic,"

The Hyuuga pulled her closer, his fingers intertwining with hers. Her back pressed on his chest and Sakura made herself comfortable. Neji looked up to the sky, his eyes widened as realization dawned, the truth revealed itself before him and suffocated his entire being.

Time came to a crashing halt as he realized that of all the idiocy he had to commit, he was in love with a married woman.

--

Sakura woke up to find herself still on the veranda and trapped in the Hyuuga's embrace. The sky was no longer black, she noticed, there were more stars now. She wasn't sure what it was, the stillness of the night, or the musky masculine scent of the Anbu, but she felt a tear rolling down her cheeks.

She may not have loved him as a husband, but she loved him as a friend.

That night, Sakura Uchiha mourned for her husband.

--

tbc-


	5. five

The Konoha Love Story

By anna

_All general disclaimers apply_

_five_

--

"As days turned into months, the uproar about Sasuke Uchiha's death began to subside. With Sasuke gone, Neji Hyuuga became the sole captain of Anbu. He became a man obsessed with work, and it wasn't long before he landed himself another visit to the hospital,"

xxxxxxxxxxx

Neji tapped the counter next to his bed impatiently, he grumbled, it was déjà vu all over again. His eyes trained on the door opposite from him, almost willing it to open. The light jiggle of the doorknob broke his concentration and he lifted his eyes higher to look at the incomer. She did not have pink hair, she did not have green eyes.

She was not who he was expecting.

"Who are you?" he almost growled at the new woman.

"My name is Mizuka, I'm your medic," she answered, and then began to scribble some notes on the clipboard she was holding. The scratching sounds of her pen strokes penetrated his ears and he found them excruciatingly irritating.

"Where is Sakura? I specifically asked for her."

This new flimsy woman lifted her face and smiled, "She was the one who insisted I take the case instead, something about holding her end of the deal, she said you'd understand."

"_If I win, all my future injuries will be treated by a less annoying medic,"_

Neji mentally slapped himself. Honestly, why couldn't he have asked for something more useful.

"Right, when do I leave?"

"You only have a slight injury, so you should be able to check out at the end of the day,"

--

Sakura played with her straw absentmindedly while looking out the diner's window. It was hot outside and she was glad to be in a place with an accessible cooling system. She averted her attention back to Naruto and was taken by surprise when she realized that he had not taken his eyes off of her.

"Naruto… Have your eyes always been like that?" she asked.

The Hokage blinked, "What do you mean?"

"When you look at me, it's intense," Sakura answered.

Naruto froze, and then be began to grin. Sakura smiled, her Naruto was back.

It had been five months since Sasuke's passing and Naruto stayed with her through all of the mood changes. They had been almost inseparable and Sakura was happy to finally have her best friend back.

"It's nothing," she said.

"I heard Neji-san got back from his mission, shouldn't you be handling his case?" Naruto asked, reaching his orange juice.

"No, five months ago we made a deal," the medic said and motioned for the waitress to come.

"Anybody could tell you threw the match,"

"Strawberry ice-cream please," the waitress nodded left to place her order.

"It doesn't matter anymore, Mizuka-san is a good medic, I know she'll take good care of him."

Naruto rolled his eyes impatiently, for one of the most intelligent women in Konoha, Sakura could really be clueless sometimes.

"He doesn't want Mizuka, he wants you, a fool could tell that he's in love with you," Naruto leaned forward and tapped her lightly on her forehead for emphasis.

He then sank himself back on the chair, expecting to see some sort of new expression on her face. He was utterly disappointed when Sakura continued to eat her ice-cream, unaffected.

"He reminds me too much of Sasuke-kun," she said finally, it was a vague answer, but she knew Naruto understood.

"You married Sasuke," Naruto reminded her.

"I was young,"

"That's your excuse?" Naruto asked incredulously, the ferocity in his voice shocked the medic.

"Naruto…"

The blonde Hokage scoffed, Sakura really was naïve. He remembered it clearly; it had been a dangerous situation when Sasuke suddenly came back to the village. He knew the effect it would have on Sakura, and when the two announced their engagement, he was far from surprised.

But he too, had been a fool back then, Naruto had been so focused on making sure Sasuke's love for her was genuine that he completely overlooked her feelings. It was truly ironic how things turned out. After their wedding, Naruto had completely given up hopes on her. He did not openly confess his feelings, but somehow, Sasuke had noticed.

The observative bastard.

He had finally resolved to love her silently, to walk her through the messes she was bound to get herself into, to transfer all of his less than appropriate desires into the desire to keep her safe.

It was all very _unrequited love_.

But even he could not have foreseen the entrance of one Neji Hyuuga.

And then it became all very _noblesse oblige_

The obligation to ensure her happiness at all cost.

--

That night was another of Kakashi's famous parties. The ones that had absolutely no purpose except to serve as an excuse to drink, gamble, and talking about new releases of Icha Icha Paradise. Every ninja were there, even two thirds of the Legendary Sannin. The fifth Hokage had managed to slither herself into a gambling ring and was looking fabulously comfortable. Jiraiya was holding a shot of sake with one hand and fondling some young girl with the other, both cheeks red with the fading imprints of female palms.

Neji sat on a tall stool beside the bar; he had been there for about an hour and couldn't, for the life of him, figure out how he managed to get roped in the eccentric social gathering. The Hyuuga began to scan the rowdy company; he looked over a bored Shikamaru, a drunken Akamaru, and a dancing Ino. Out of sheer coincidence, his eyes fell on a gorgeous pink haired woman.

Sakura had just entered the house and was looking marvelously out of place with her professional white attire. She appeared to have come from the hospital and before he realized that he was possibly staring too much, her eyes caught his gaze.

He didn't know what to do, he hadn't seen her for five months and it was taking all of his self control to refrain from running up to her and holding her close. Emotions ran high and his heart was immediately lifted when she smiled at him. That brilliant smile he was used to seeing.

"Neji… it's been a while," she greeted as she walked closer to the bar.

The medic sat down next to him, the bartender approached hopefully but she declined the sake.

"I tried to find you," he said, trying hard to not look at her. The mere sight of this woman could make him lose himself.

"I'm sorry," she answered simply, not knowing what else to say.

"Mizuka is annoying," Neji muttered, looking straight ahead.

"She's one of the best interns,"

"_He doesn't want Mizuka, he wants you, a fool could tell that he's in love with you," Naruto had said. _

She chuckled, and Neji turned in surprise.

"Nothing, just something silly that Naruto said," she laughed mirthlessly and started to stand up, "Maybe I'll go find Ino or something, I need a woman to bitch about life with,"

In a moment of panic, he grabbed her arm and held her there.

"…I can bitch…." He stumbled on his words, "besides, Ino is busy…" Neji pointed to a drunken blonde dancing on Kakashi's precious wooden coffee table.

"If it's any consolation, you bitch like a girl Neji," Sakura said, her eyes widened when she saw her friend enjoying herself from afar.

"What kind of shirt is that? Open heart surgery much?" she muttered incredulously.

She laughed some more and opted to sit back down again on the stool.

"I'm impressed, everybody is here,"

"Hm… the only one missing is probably Orochimaru himself," Neji smirked, inwardly relieved that she decided to stay with him.

"Nah, don't count on him showing up. I heard from some very reputable sources that he's having some problems with himself right now," she waved her finger knowingly, as though she had just told him a national secret.

"Again? Honestly, last I heard his self esteem was above the roof," Neji furrowed his eyebrows seriously.

"Well, whatever it is, I hope he works it out with himself, Gods know the havoc a disturbed Orochimaru could wreak."

Looking at the handsome man sitting next to her, the pink haired medic's mouth suddenly felt dry. She reached her hand out for the mug of lemonade, but apparently Neji had the same idea. Their hands met, a jolt of electricity ran through both their bodies. They sat, and as though time stopped, they could see nothing except each other.

--

They stumbled to the bedroom, fingers roaming over each other's bodies. Neji fumbled with the lock and pushed the door with sudden aggressiveness. Sakura chuckled and pressed her lips against his, her kiss became more needy with each passing seconds. With a kick of the heel, Sakura closed the door behind her and pushed the Hyuuga down onto the large bed.

The mattresses compressed under their weight and a light creaking of the metal spring was heard. Her hands lifted up the hem of his shirt and pulled it off of him, revealing an extremely well toned torso. The heat on his body was too irresistible, she held him closer, hoping to transfer some of that warmth to her as well. With a squeal, Sakura found herself being flipped over, she settled herself comfortably beneath the man. His face inches from her and she opted to pull it down for another hot kiss.

"Undress me," she panted, urgency laced in her voice.

His fingers grasped onto the sheet to establish a moment of control over himself. Neji stopped moving and Sakura looked up to the handsome man above her with confusion.

"I can't," he muttered.

Her eyes narrowed, anger seethed through brilliant green orbs, "I'm asking you to bed me and you refused?"

Neji sighed and slowly removed himself from her. He laid still next to her and turned to look at her profile in the dark. The window allowed small rays of the moon to enter, highlighting her beautiful curves.

"I do not have lovers, I have sex partners," he said simply.

She laughed, light clear sounds resonating in his ears, "I'm not asking you to be my lover, I'm asking you to have sex with me,"

She abruptly sat up, her fingers unbuttoned the white blouse and opened it, revealing her perfect breasts. She was offering him everything; all she asked for return was a night of mindless sex and no inhibitions. Neji began to sit up from her bed, his hands reached out to her and she smirked, because she knew even the mighty Anbu captain had urges.

Much to Sakura's surprise however, he slowly began to button her shirt again. The small action of affection rendered her speechless and she could feel the inadvertent touches against her bare skin. They sat there in silence and she watched as his fingers lingered over the last button. Without a word, he pulled her closer; his strong arms wound around her waist and held her. She didn't know what to do and her arms stayed limply at her sides. Sakura could feel his head burying deep at the nook of her neck

"I'm sorry Sakura, not you, anybody else but not you," Neji answered

His words lingered in the air and she stayed silent.

"Oh dear God, you really are in love with me,"

No longer had the words left her lips that she began to regret how cynical she sounded. But Neji didn't seem to mind as he clung to her harder.

"More than you'll ever know," he whispered.

"Can we stay this way?"

"Hm?"

"I want to stay this way for a little longer,"

Sakura enjoyed their chaste intimacy and began to regret her earlier actions… it must have been the alcohol.

--

Neji sat on a large cushion chair, his expression reflected one of boredom. He had been called to the main house for a confidential conference with Hiashi, but the old man had decided to let his nephew wait. He looked out the window and noted the nice weather they were having, it was strange that he had never noticed such things before. Or maybe he was trying to hard to focus on other things to keep his thoughts away from the happenings of last night. She had been in his arms, and it felt so right.

The door suddenly opened and Neji thanked the gods for putting an end to his torturous boredom.

The head of the Hyuuga clan sat down opposite from the Anbu, his presence majestic.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you to come so suddenly," he began.

"Yes Hiashi-sama," Neji answered politely.

"Then I'll get straight to the point, Neji you are twenty four now correct?"

"That's right,"

"The other family members and I have been thinking about prospective marriage candidates for you…"

His heart began to beat faster and faster, until his uncle's words were drowned by the loud steady drumming.

"You mean, an arranged marriage," Neji said simply.

"I'm glad you understand, and after careful consideration, I have chosen a suitable wife for you," Hiashi nodded, his lips curved up into a small smile.

Without noticing the dark killing emitting dangerously from his nephew, the old man continued his one-sided conversation.

"I had a talk with her and luckily she agreed,"

"Who is this woman I'm supposed to marry?" Neji asked, trying his best to conceal his anger.

"Oh? Don't worry, I know how awkward it is to marry a girl you have never met before. I saved you the trouble. She is your old teammate, Tenten,"

--

It was early in the morning; Sakura yawned and stretched her arms. She walked to her closet and took the white hospital blouse off the hanger. Kakashi's new team seven was due to come back to Konoha today, and God knows how much injuries they've accumulated. She walked briskly to the door, slipping on her shoes, one hand holding onto a muffin and the other on the doorknob.

Sakura breathed in the fresh smell of the outdoors and shut locked the door behind her. She as caught by surprise when she found Neji sitting on the porch, his eyes trained on her.

"Neji… what are you doing here?" she asked and couldn't help but feel a smile coming up.

"Sakura, I'm engaged to Tenten," he answered solemnly, walking up the steps to meet her.

Something in her heart dropped and she managed to utter.

"I'm sorry?"

He moved forward and clasped her hands, holding those small fingers within his own. The tall Anbu lowered his head so that his eyes could properly meet hers. Those silver orbs asking for something she did not quite understand.

"But one word from you, one word and I'll fight it, I'll fight my entire clan,"

"Don't be silly," she laughed and pried his hands away, "I… um… have to get to the hospital…"

She didn't know if a bidding goodbye was what she wanted then, but she left him to stand in front of her door. Sakura herself walked as fast as her legs could carry her and was silently grateful that he did not try to follow.

Sakura bid farewell to the receptionist at the hospital and began her walk down the hall way. She breathed a sigh of relief for it had been a hard day, although the children were relatively unharmed, Kakashi had a nasty scar on his side. The pretty medic smiled lightly, reminiscing about the former team seven. As she walked however, a small woman caught her attention and she turned to get a better look.

"Sakura-chan," a soft voice called out to her.

"Hinata-san," the medic greeted happily.

For a moment, she almost didn't recognize this woman standing in front of her. Her hair had gotten longer; those dark gorgeous locks that Sakura had always secretly admired were below her shoulders now. For such a small change, Sakura thought she looked like a new woman.

"I didn't notice you standing there,"

"I need to speak with you," the Hyuuga said, lightly ushering Sakura out of the hospital.

They stopped at the first available bench and sat down. The medic searched her face, hoping for some hints that might have triggered this impromptu meeting. Hinata breathed out and gulped, Sakura waited patiently, she had remembered that Naruto had mentioned that Hinata still had troubles with confrontations.

"It's about Naruto," Hinata said simply.

At the mention of the Hokage's name, Sakura lightly smiled, apparently Hinata still had that ridiculous crush on him.

"I love him, I love him very much," she started; the pink haired medic noticed the strained effort she put on her words to prevent any stumbling.

"And you want him to be happy," Sakura finished for her.

The Hyuuga nodded and began again, "For years I've stayed by him, I've tried to cater to his every need as a woman, but I could never make him happy,"

At that pause, Sakura had the frustratingly tempting urge to tell Hinata that Naruto doesn't need anything except ramen to make him happy. But she wisely kept quiet, now wasn't the time to make any jokes. Especially unfunny ones.

"His attentions were fleeting, so were his affections. I was foolish at first, but I finally figured out why he could never devote himself to me," Hinata said, "You may not realized this Sakura-chan, but he is still in love with you,"

The pretty woman didn't know what to say to that, instead she sat on the bench looking ahead blankly. Naruto couldn't possibly _still _be in love with her when he had never been in love.

"I do not want to waste your time Sakura-chan, I just want you to know," Hinata said, she stood up and got ready to leave.

Sakura leaned back against the marbled bench and sighed. It was so utterly ridiculous, but her eyes widened when she realized that not only was it probable, it was true. Naruto had stayed with her through everything. He had been there, when Sasuke left, when Sasuke came back, when Sasuke proposed, and when Sasuke died.

It was ironic, out of all people; Naruto would be secretive about his feelings. He was vocal about everything else. She scoffed and nodded.

Ridiculous

--

Naruto pressed her against the wall and kissed her with an ungentle ferocity. He could feel the soft body against him, how it writhed and slithered with voluptuous ease. He didn't know why he suddenly needed the contact of a woman that exact moment, but something in him was hungrily begging for attention. His blonde bangs intertwined with her long dark hair, as his body intertwined with hers.

Something within Hinata broke and she pushed the man she loved off of her. Blue eyes widened and looked at her with strange innocence, asking her why she had stopped.

"Go to her," she said simply.

Immediately all hands removed themselves from her body and Naruto took a step back.

"What are you doing here?" Hinata continued rhetorically.

She had promised herself to never cry. Never had Hinata felt more pathetic, hadn't she known that this day would come? She had been preparing herself for when they reached this crossroad. Now that it was here, she suddenly found herself not knowing how to proceed.

"Neji is getting married," the Hyuuga finished.

Naruto nodded in understanding and gave her a small smile. It was not a smile of love, but more like one of appreciation. But she was not in a position to be picky. He reached for his coat and left, Hinata caught a look of determination on his face. He was walking out of her life, but for some reason, she felt lifted, because she knew that he was finally going to stop lying to himself.

That alone, meant the world to her.

She shut the door behind her; she let herself slide down until she reached the floor. After thirteen years, Hinata Hyuuga had finally given up.

--

tbc-


	6. six

The Konoha Love Story

By anna

_All general disclaimers apply_

_six_

--

"_I'm in love with you,"_

"_I know," _

--

He ran with no clear game plan, but the sense of urgency that was surging through his bloodstream was hard to ignore. Naruto didn't even know what he was going to say when he got there; all he knew was that he needed to be where she was. The sweat that was now running down his back was not from fatigue, but from anticipation. His heart was beating until he could hear and feel nothing else but the dull throbbing in his chest.

The dim light emitted from the Uchiha household became a beacon for him to follow in the dark night, but as he neared her house, he suddenly felt weak. Naruto approached the porch briskly and knocked ferociously on the wooden door. He had always admired the workmanship of the mahogany door, the intricate swirls of the dark wood, but tonight, it was like an antagonist, blocking him from the one thing he desired most.

Light footsteps approached, and for a moment, he could feel her beside him. The smell of her shampoo fought its way through and it reached him, beckoning him to stand closer. It felt like an eternity and he fought back the temptation to break open the door. But a flash of light blinded him, and a beautiful pink haired woman stood before him.

Her eyes widened in surprise and simultaneously something in his chest dropped.

She was not waiting for him.

He brushed off the aching feeling of his realization, because he had decided long ago. It didn't matter if she was waiting for him or not, because he will always come to her.

And it was about time Sakura knew that too.

--

It had been two days since Naruto broke into her house and Sakura had been trying to pile herself with endless amount of work to keep her mind off of her shitty love life. She wandered aimlessly through the hospital grounds. All her work for the day was gone and she no longer had a purpose, she scoffed when she realized how pathetic her life had gotten. There were still from nurses prancing about as the night shift began, but all the patients were already sleeping so there wasn't much excitement. As her feet carried on with no destination, she closed her eyes and indulged in the silence.

When she finally looked up, Sakura noticed she was no longer in the lobby. She smiled an ironic smile when she realized where she had inadvertently walked to. She hadn't walked in this corridor for five months and it was strange that its path had been ingrained in her mind. Sakura's hand clasped on the metal knob and twisted. She entered the vacant room and turned on the light.

"I was wondering when you would come,"

As the rays of light filled the room, she realized that it wasn't as empty as she had originally thought. The clean hospital bed was occupied by a dark, handsome man. His long brown hair hung loosely and his piercing silver eyes penetrated hers. It had been so long since she had seen him in this room. The situation was different now; he was no longer bedridden and helpless, and their relationship had been one of forceful civility.

She almost laughed when she noticed that his fingers were clasped around the television remote.

"Your soap opera is on," he said simply as the TV turned on. The familiar theme song filled the room just like it had five months ago. Small breezes of nostalgia blew softly across, filling their lungs with a desire to stay in this room of the past. In this room, they were not a subject to time.

She laughed and walked toward him and joined him on the bed. They stayed that way in silence, quietly remembering when everything was simple, before fate reared its ugly head. She smiled contentedly and snuggled in closer, draping an arm over his body.

"I didn't know you actually knew the channel for this show," Sakura mused out loud, "I haven't watched this ever since you left my care long ago,"

"Misao and her boyfriend got married, but she died during childbirth and he is now dating a new woman," Neji answered dryly.

Sakura turned to look at him incredulously; it was amusing to hear the feared Anbu captain reciting the plot of a soap opera. She buried her head in his chest and giggled. When she finally stopped, Sakura's eyes searched his and their gaze locked. The nostalgia was no longer pleasant.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He turned to face her, his breath tickling her face as he spoke. He scanned over her beautiful face, the pink bangs blew softly, "Me too,"

She laughed mirthlessly, her arms tugged him tighter. Slowly, she sat up, a finger trailed along his strong jaw line. Then her face was within inches of his, Sakura brought her lips down for a soft, chaste kiss.

"Neji, make love to me,"

The soap opera was forgotten as they have already begun to take each other's clothes off. Unlike the last time, there was no urgency, no animalistic lust, just the need to be near the person they loved. If this were the last the last time they could be together like this, then they will make it worthwhile.

If they were going to be each other's memory, then it will be something that cannot be forgotten easily.

They will be together, in that room of the past.

**--**

"You were with him, weren't you?" he asked, knowing full well the answer.

She nodded silently.

"I'm glad you got the closure," Naruto continued and approached her, offering her his hand.

Sakura smiled and took it, intertwining his fingers with her own. The simple act of affection gave her the feeling of being safe, of being shielded from the world. Naruto opened his arms and drew her in; he reveled in the smell of her being, the soft skin pressing against his own. After years of waiting, she finally saw him as a man.

Naruto gulped, his blood began to rush and his heart quickened. Slowly, he took a step back from her, earning a look of confusion from the woman.

She narrowed her eyes but then relaxed again in understanding. Her relationship with Naruto had finally made it to its crossroad when he finally got down on one knee.

"Sakura-chan, marry me,"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hinata paused; she leaned back against her chair, well aware of the children's piercing gazes on her.

They were waiting for the conclusion.

It was funny how she hesitated, this was a story she had commit to memory. Yet Hinata didn't have the heart to tell the rest. She shook her head in disapproval, at her own weakness, but most importanly at Sakura's bad tastes. Sakura made her decision, now it was time for Hinata to make hers.

For once in her life, Hinata Hyuuga will have her way.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sakura look at the man before her, it had been a while since she had seen him this vulnerable. His blue eyes asked for acceptance, the kind of acceptance she denied him almost all her life. Realization crashed on her, almost suffocating her in the process. She had taken granted of him, of the man who had known her the most, the man who stayed with her through all the shit in her life.

She just hadn't realized that even back when they were children at the Academy, her life had been his life too.

He squeezed Sakura's hand tighter, bringing her back to reality and she focused once again on his pleading face; the face that had long lost its childhood innocence.

"Yes," she said softly.

The expression on his face was something stuck between astonishment and disbelief. Those gorgeous blue eyes searched hers, wondering if those shimmering glints on her eyes were really tears.

"I want to marry you," Sakura laughed, as those she couldn't believe the answer herself.

Now it was his turn to laugh, deep gentle laughter filled the Uchiha house. Naruto lifted himself off his knees and immediately pulled her in for a hug. Sakura closed her eyes and breathed in his musky, masculine scent.

"You have no idea how long I have waited to hear you say that," he muttered.

--

The news of two weddings between some of the village's most famous ninja was circulating Konoha like wildfire. The villagers were bustling about, giving their congratulations whenever a chance was presented. At the moment, however, Neji and Tenten were getting the most attention since the Hyuuga wedding was to precede the Uzumaki's by a month.

With their names entering household conversations, it wasn't a surprise that Sakura and Naruto's engagement was the first thing Neji heard about when he got back from a quick mission. He immediately sought her out and Sakura soon found out that her preference to avoid him was no match for his determination.

She found him in her office, sitting on her chair with a smug look on his face.

"So you're getting married," he was the first to speak.

"It's not exactly fresh news," she answered indifferently.

"Congratulations,"

"You too,"

Suddenly, all smugness and indifference dissipated from their faces. There was no point in keeping appearances in front of each other. They were in each other's mercy, fragile and vulnerable. Anymore words and it could break them both.

"I'm in love with you," Neji said simply.

"I know,"

They became broken people.

**--**

By some strange forces of nature, Sakura found herself agreeing to be one of Tenten's bridesmaids. Or maybe it wasn't so much forces of nature; oblivious to the pink haired medic's efforts to refuse the offer, Ino and Tenten had both opted to drag her off and managed to squeeze her in a small frilly dress. Ino and Sakura had been following the new bride-to-be to every dress shop in all of Fire Country. They soon figured out that even though Tenten was a small woman, she was vicious.

"Ooh, sexy," Ino shrilled, twirling around in the small dress.

"I half expected this to be one of those weddings where the bridesmaids look like shit," Sakura said, her hands patting down the peach colored dress.

"I might even pick up some hot guy at the wedding and have him deflower me," the blond continued.

Tenten and Sakura looked at each other in amusement.

"Deflower you?" the weapon master asked incredulously, trying to hold back wheezes of laugher.

"The entire male population in Konoha is probably drowned in your damned petals," Sakura embellished, and at that point Tenten could no longer contain her laughter.

Ino uttered a few words of protests and opted to go off to find a seamstress to make her dress shorter. After the blond left the dressing room, the remaining two women stood in their dresses in silence. Sakura wasn't sure if Tenten knew about Neji, but from the heavy atmosphere it wouldn't be surprising if she did.

"Sakura… I have something to ask you," Tenten began tentatively, her fingers tugging on the white lace.

"Yes?"

"It's Neji, I know that he probably doesn't see me anymore than just a teammate. He's only marrying me to carry out his clan's wishes," the brunette started, Sakura could see the lines of worry on her brows.

"He'll love you in time," Sakura assured the vulnerable woman in front of her, "You're already wearing the dress, it's not suitable to worry about frivolous things,"

"I know you have been spending sometime with him, so you must know… does he have feelings for another woman?"

Sakura couldn't help but admire how beautiful Tenten looked in her wedding dress. The long white gown that touched the ground lightly as she walked, that hugged her waist perfectly, that would match Neji's own tux. The brunette looked fragile, and Sakura wouldn't dare break her. Neji was already a broken man, he needed a person to mend him.

"No, there is nobody else," she assured.

Tenten breathed out in relief and got back to admiring herself in the mirror. Both women turned around when Ino walked in proudly, flaunting her fabulous legs, the dress was now considerably shorter,

"Oh my," came simultaneous utters of surprise.

**--**

One month passed since the Hyuuga wedding, and then it was Sakura's turn to assume the role of the busy bride. Taking experience from Tenten's own wedding, Ino's dress was to be longer than the other bridesmaids'. Instead of a big wedding like the Hyuuga's, Sakura opted for a smaller one, despite Naruto's insistence that she should make it a day she could remember.

"My wedding with Sasuke-kun had taken months to plan, hundreds of paychecks and even more invites. Yet, I hardly remember the details," she had answered.

It was the big day and Tenten and Ino were busy getting ready to walk their friend down the aisle. Sakura had originally wanted three bridesmaids for the odd number, but Hinata had gracefully declined.

"Tenten, when are you going to tell Neji that you're pregnant?" Sakura asked as Ino zipped up her simple wedding gown.

"Hmm… soon, I want to surprise him," she smiled fondly at her flat stomach.

"Well… ready ladies?" Sakura asked, "Let's get married,"

--

Naruto almost couldn't breathe when he saw her emerged from the house, Sakura was absolutely radiant. She clung to Kakashi's arm as he walked her down the aisle, Sakura had been disappointed however, when the last of the Sharingan user refused to take off his mask for the occasion. The silver haired man gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before taking a seat next to his wife. Once he sat down, he held onto Kurenai happily and couldn't help but boast to Gai that his kids made a better couple.

All eyes were on the bride and her exquisite beauty as she approached the altar and was welcomed into the Hokage's arms.

"Do you, Naruto Uzumaki, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do,"

"And do you, take this man?"

"I do,"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The children were silent.

"So in the end, she married the Sixth Hokage," the little girl muttered to herself.

"Yes Sari," Hinata smiled gently, patting the child's soft hair.

They stared at their teacher's face and some gasped in astonishment when they realized that she wasn't as old as they had originally thought. It was as if in the past five days, she had gotten younger. The ending seemed to release her and the children couldn't help but noticed how pretty she actually was.

"Now that the story is over, it's time to go," Hinata clapped her hands and sent them off.

She remained behind, sitting on the soft chair and opted to look out the window. Her eyes landed on the Hokage mountain and lingered on the likeness of the Sixth. She ignored the steady footsteps that were approaching her.

"That was not how the story ended."

"No, but that was the end that he wanted. Even as a child it's always been his dream to be with her you see," she answered without turning to look at the newcomer.

"I like your ending better, even if it's not real."

"A distortion of the past or not, as long as the legacy of the Sixth Hokage is concerned, he married the woman he loved,"

Kiba couldn't help but marvel at his wife. Naruto had been a fool.

There she sat, with the sun washed down on her face, the woman who rewrote history just because the man she loved wanted it to be so.

He offered her his hand and she took it with a smile. The couple walked leisurely, enjoying each other's comfortable presence. They made their way outside of the Academy to a vast green field and stopped at a small piece of land. It was famous Konoha cemetery, the resting place for the heroes of Leaf Village.

Each tombstone bore a familiar name, there was Sasuke Uchiha who died in an A ranked mission. Shikamaru Nara, who lost his life during an enemy interrogation. Ino Nara who was executed during a low profile, undercover mission when a foreign lord found out she was a Leaf kunoichi. Lastly, they lingered for a little while when they got to the last grave. Before them were the characters of Sakura Hyuuga carved into stone.

Sometimes a story is not as history remembers it; it is as the teller wants it to be.

Because even though Sakura had chosen Neji, Hinata will always choose Naruto.

--

End.


End file.
